Digital Commons Network^™

Neuroendocrine Implications For Coping And Alcohol Consumption In Response To Exercise Restriction, Colleen Elizabeth Mcgonigle

Honors Theses

The purpose of our study is to investigate the role that gonadal hormones and β-endorphin play in alcohol consumption in response to exercise restriction in a mouse model. Men and women consume alcohol in different manners from each other, both in terms of general consumption and in the factors motivating consumption. The murine model of alcohol self-administration that we utilize in this study represents both facets of this sex difference; female mice consume more alcohol than male mice and also are more likely to significantly increase their consumption when restricted from voluntarily accessing running wheels. We hypothesized in our first …

The Art Of Music Direction In Contemporary Musical Theatre: Music Directing Tom Kitt And Brian Yorkey's 'Next To Normal', Alexandra Julia Golden

Honors Theses

As a junior at Bucknell University, I was granted permission by the Department of Theatre and Dance to music direct Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's Next to Normal during the winter of my senior year as a THEA 319 Independent Study. This is a course I applied for in my junior year, but began preparing for as a first year student after deciding I wished to pursue a 319 in music direction. I spent the next year researching musicals to find one that would be both manageable for our department in terms of cast size, style and budget, and relevant …

Accessibility To Art Museums And Museum Education Programs For An Elderly Population With Dementia, Danielle Elizabeth Retcho

Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on the ways in which exposure to visual art at the Samek Art Museum can improve the wellbeing of people with dementia. This thesis argues that the practices of contemporary museum education and the discipline of Disability Studies have largely been running parallel to each other since the rise of Disability Studies in the 1980s. Museum educators and their institutions have been conditioned to concern themselves with only the able-minded and able-bodied. However, Disability Study scholars force us to question this status quo through their writings about normalcy and its flaws. I argue that if museums were …

Finding Palestine, Finding Ourselves: A Philosophy Of Occupation, Narrative, And Peace, Sarah Emma Decker

Honors Theses

This thesis is a philosophical study of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict employing feminist, epistemological, and social and political philosophy to analyze linguistic processes such as narratives, naming, and stereotype formation. The framework of this thesis is the Wittgensteinian paradox of the self defined by the other, according to which individuals are always dependent upon others not merely for the satisfactions of their needs, but for their very conception of self. Following Wittgenstein, I argue that this essential co-dependency is due to the character of our necessarily shared language conventions. Moreover, I apply this framework in an attempt to better articulate …

Madness Uncaged: A History Of Psychiatric Practice And Its Expansion Into The Everyday, Max Alexander Ferrer

Honors Theses

This study project provides a history and evaluation of the growth of psychology since its inception during the Middle Ages. Through secondary research on trends and breakthroughs in psychological practice, this project provides a periodization by which the history of psychology can be evaluated through a critical philosophical lens. This periodization includes four distinct time periods: The Age of Jails or "Old Asylums" (middle ages to early 19th century), The Age of Asylums (early 19th century to early 20th century), and The Age of Private Psychiatry (early to mid 20th century). Eventually, this trajectory will result in a fourth period, …

A Musician's Lament: A Creative Piece Resulting From The Interaction Between Grief And Music, Sarah K. Noelker

Honors Theses

This thesis resulted in the creation of a musical work that reflects on my period of bereavement after the loss of my best friend. My research centered around the interaction between the human brain and grief, music and the interaction between the two as they happen simultaneously. In addition, I studied the works of the great composers to serve as a model as I set out to write my own work. Written here is a rationale on the creative piece as well as my research presented prior to the writing of the piece.

Ideology V. Reality: The Tiny House Movement In America, Taylor Pierce

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Putting The Athletic Back In The Trainer, Shelby L. Davis

Honors Theses

Athletic Training Students are taught about the benefits of physical activity and how to create specific exercise programs to maintain overall wellness. Although athletic training students have knowledge about the positive effects of physical activity, they continually score lower on activity level scales when compared with the average college student. A rigorous course schedule and long clinical hours seem to be a common factor that play into the poor health habits of the athletic training student. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the variables that negatively affect the exercise habits of undergraduate athletic training students.

Students from …

Effects Of Equine Appeasing Pheromone On Heart Rate And Heart Rate Variability During Temporary Separation Of Equine Preferred Partners, Hannah Susanne Wilson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Cultivating Character With Curriculum: A Service Project, Amanda K. Bowman

Honors Theses

Often misbranded as an imposition of morality or a form of “conversion therapy,” character education is intentionally designing instructional practices to foster the growth of specific character traits. This service project explored how explicit character education can be implemented in the modern classroom at three out of class academic preparatory sessions for low-income high school students who will be the first in their families to achieve a college degree. These sessions were conducted during the Eastern Kentucky University Upward Bound Programs monthly Saturday Academies. During each session, students received direct instruction and participated in experiential learning activities regarding a specific …

The Internal Revenue Code: A Burden For Taxpayers Or An Instrument For Social Change?, Heather N. Murray

Honors Theses

Social engineering in the tax code has been evident from the beginning of the U.S. tax history. Today, it is as much as ever a part of the fabric of the tax codification, but there is very little research that investigates 1) how social engineering plays a role in the creation of new tax law, and 2) whether tax law is effective in altering taxpayer behavior. This paper streamlines the history of social engineering in the most popular revenue-reducing measures and analyzes how they've affected the U.S. taxpayer, with notes on future policy implications.

Working With Mental Illness And The Preparation Of Social Workers, Destini Triplett

Honors Theses

Social workers are often the front line responders for individuals with mental illness. However, there has been limited research related to how social workers are prepared, what the best practices are, and what suggestions have been made to improve preparation in this kind of setting. This research study included a cross-sectional mixed methods study examining the knowledge and preparation of social work professionals as well as recommendations for improving education. The results indicated that social work educators and professionals are competent in their knowledge of mental health. The qualitative responses indicated three overarching themes: (1) confidence in abilities but acknowledgement …

Gender, Consent, And Hermaphroditic Legibility In James Joyce's Ulysses And Finnegans Wake, Carter R. Elsea

Honors Theses

It is difficult to imagine a more elusive, polemical author than James Joyce. He is often spoken of as both a cosmopolitan and a nationalist, syphilitic madman and genius, and misogynist and writer of écriture feminine. This final paradoxical view of Joyce is one that I find most compelling. However, this is not a project in feminist historiography attempting to reclaim Joyce for feminism, but rather a demonstration of the pulsing bodies that already exist between the texts. When exploring this idea of écriture feminine in Joyce’s Ulysses, one might be surprised that Hélène Cixous refers to Joyce’s treatment of …

Exploring The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Health, As It Affects Men And Women, Taylor Engel

Honors Theses

Low socioeconomic status has been found to adversely affect the physical and mental health of men and women. While research studies have examined the relationship between income and health, few have had special focus on gender differences, as they concern physical and mental health outcomes for persons living in poverty. This study explores the disparities and differences that exist between males and females in the population, and seeks to identify any supports needed for those individuals. This study includes a secondary data analysis, which utilized a sample of 125 adults taken from a primary care clinic in Northern Florida that …

Parents Perceptions Of The Internet And Its Effects On Their Children, Brittany Hill

Honors Theses

The Internet is a vast database filled with education, fun, and danger. Parents have a difficult time protecting their children against the dangers they can face on the Internet (e.g., cyberbullying, sexual victimization, addiction, unwanted pornography). This study’s purpose was to better understand how parents perceived the Internet and also see how they understand the effects on their children’s behaviors. The study was an online social media survey and had both quantitative and qualitative aspects. This study included 28 parents of children eight and older in the school system. Participant’s responses were examined using measures of central tendency and grounded …

Emphasizing Colonization In Modern Environmental And Women’S Activist Movements In India And The Future Of Ecofeminist Movements For Creating A More Just And Sustainable Future, Alea M. Tveit

Honors Theses

This research discusses the extent of colonial acknowledgement in modern women’s rights and environmental movements in India. British colonization profoundly altered the ecological landscape and social norms of the societies it affected while leaving behind institutional structures that encouraged and perpetuated discrimination, oppression, and environmental degradation. In the case of India, I illustrate pre-colonial norms surrounding environmental stewardship and women’s rights and compare it to post-colonial ideology to make a connection of modern human rights and environmental problems to a colonial past. Today’s popular environmental and women’s activist movements are analyzed to determine if colonial acknowledgment or a decolonial framework …

The Intellectual, Ethical, And, Spiritual Dimensions Of The Islamic Thought, Ambreen Sohani

Honors Theses

The intellectual inquiry and acquisition of knowledge have always been integral to Islam, right from the first revelation recorded by the Qur’an. This paper aims to examine how the origin, role, and purpose of intellect have been understood in Islamic thought from its inception and through its subsequent evolution. It further aims to discuss the role and purpose that intellect and ethics ought to serve in the faith and lives of contemporary Muslims. Muslim philosophers based their ideas on teachings of the Qur’an and teachings of Prophet Muhammad. They utilized their intellect to share this significant knowledge with their contemporary …

Curating Curiosity: The Evolution Of Museological Theory In The Late Seventeenth Century At The Bibliothèque De Sainte-Geneviève, Erin L. Anderson

Honors Theses

The evolution of museological theory at the Bibliotheque de Sainte-Genevieve marks a transition in the history of collecting during the early modern period. Although the contents of the collection remained largely unchanged from earlier Wunderkammern, the acquisition, display, and organization of artifacts within the cabinet had evolved tremendously by the end of the 17th century and one can begin to see the collection as a predecessor of modern museological methodologies.

The Legal Context Of Medicine: Looking At Healthcare Through A Bicultural Lens, Annamarie Beckmeyer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

"Tell Me You Own Me, Gimme Them Coins": Postfeminist Fascination With Lolita, Lana Del Rey, And Sugar Culture On Tumblr, Rachel E. Davis

Honors Theses

This research sought to describe the size and analyze the content of communities on Tumblr that share posts regarding Lolita, Lana Del Rey, and sugar culture. Research questions included: Why might young women on Tumblr choose to share posts relating to these things? How are they interpreting the images and texts they share? Is this a means of expressing desire, or are these individuals subverting these images and ideas as a means of critiquing gender expectations? A qualitative textual analysis was conducted on data collected by social media analytics software. Tumblr communities sharing content regarding Lolita, Lana Del Rey, and …

Nutrition Education Intervention In A Low-Income Middle School Increases Students’ Smart Beverage Choices, Liana Rodrigues

Honors Theses

Historically, the intake of fruits and vegetables by children is low, and children in low-income environments are even less likely to consume the recommended fruits and vegetables each day. Fruit and vegetable consumption is linked to obesity which leads to other detrimental diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this intervention was to evaluate the effects of an afterschool nutrition education in a low-income middle school setting. A pre-survey and post-survey were implemented to evaluate how the intervention impacted the participants’ general nutrition knowledge, open-mindedness to taste unfamiliar fruits and vegetables (FVs), and intake …

Demographic Differences In Drug Dependency: Implications For Policy, Practice, And Research, Charles D. Baker

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research study was to examine whether there are differences in drug dependency based on demographic characteristics. The four most commonly used or abused drugs were included in this analysis (i.e., nicotine, alcohol, pain relievers, and marijuana). The secondary purpose is to explore whether there were demographic differences in mental health and drug treatment among those with a substance use disorder. Substance dependence is a state in which someone can only function normally with the presence of a drug. Past research has examined this topic to some degree; however, trends often change over time. This study found …

When Deception Gets Personal: An Exploration Into Personality's Link To Deception, Jason T. Weber

Honors Theses

Most of our understanding of deceptive behaviors comes from cognitive (Vrij, Fisher, & Blank, 2015) or social psychological (Ekman, 2009) perspectives, and furthermore comes from forensic deception detection research and strategies (Vrij, 2008). One psychological domain that has not had as much investigation in relation to deception is personality. The present study examines the connection between personality traits and one aspect of deceptive behaviors – motivations to lie. College students completed self-report surveys online regarding personality, their lying habits, and basic demographic questions. Additionally, participants read several lying scenarios and rated the likelihood of lying. In a sample of 292 …

Engagement With The Visual Arts Increases Mindfulness, Lydia G. Fogo

Honors Theses

For many cultures throughout the ages, art has been synonymous with healing and has held a key role in many ancient spiritual and religious healing rituals. Traditionally, art has also been held as a hallowed and fundamental part of society and culture. However, the role of art is changing. Today the value of art-making is in increasingly under scrutiny and often dubbed an unnecessary and unimportant luxury. Art is being slowly removed from school curricula and faces defunding. While art has never been more available, still too often art is quarantined in the isolated halls of museums and available only …

Floccinaucinihilipilification, Bonnie A. Buffington

Honors Theses

Floccinaucinihilipilification is one of the longest words in the English language. It is mainly used as a curiosity, and means the action or habit of estimating something as worthless. Stumbling upon words like this has always brought me a small amount of joy, and the moment I learned this word I knew it encapsulated everything this project was meant to be. The allure it held went beyond the definition, which I connected to the difficulties I experienced when beginning this creative research endeavor. I chose it thinking of the titles of many scientific research papers; they contain words that are …

Predatory Nature And Food Preferences Among Captive Otolemur Garnettii, Morgan N. Ruby

Honors Theses

Observing the predatory nature in primates has yielded knowledge pertaining to their biology and evolutionary pathways; however, not many studies have focused on the complexities of their food preferences. This thesis focuses on food preferences among Garnett’s Greater Bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii): a small-bodied nocturnal primate native to Central and Southern Africa. Presented food options were raisins: dried mealworms and raisins: live mealworms. The population consists of fifteen bushbabies housed in The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Primate Behavior Research Facility. Ten trials of three different experiments were performed to identify the dominant hand and food preferences among the …

Incivility: The Lived Experiences Of Nursing Students, Stephanie M. Pecua

Honors Theses

In this paper, the experience of incivility on nursing students was explored. This project aimed to answer the question: How do acts of incivility among nursing students affect the victims emotionally, psychologically, and physically? A significant part of answering this question involved exploring the meaning of the experience of incivility to the participant students. The research design was qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The participants of the study consisted of 5 volunteer, current nursing students attending the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at The University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf Park campus during the fall 2016 semester. The participants were asked …

Comparison Of Suicidality Among Heterosexual And Sexual Minority Individuals, Ashley R. Pate

Honors Theses

Previous research suggests that sexual minority individuals have a higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts than do heterosexual individuals. Little research has been done to determine what may cause these differences and how living in a conservative region may contribute to it. This study sought to compare risk factors for suicidal ideation among heterosexual and sexual minority college students in southern Mississippi. To do so, suicidal ideation was examined, as well as thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB) – two robust predictors of suicidal ideation. It was hypothesized that sexual minorities would have elevated TB, PB, and …

I Love My Team! Factors Leading To Relationship Formation With A Sports Team, Carly L. Odom

Honors Theses

The sports industry is highly profitable, with a large and diverse fan base. Many people claim to be loyal to different teams, but what moves a more ‘casual fan’ to the team ‘fanatic’ status? Prior research in sports marketing focuses on elements such as geography and family history, while general marketing research considers the impact of behavioral and emotional loyalty (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001). This focus on strict loyalty can, however, be limiting. Examining the factors within the larger relationship context gives us more insight into extreme fans (Pimentel & Reynolds, 2004), as well as the more casual fan. Prior …

Laterality Preferences Completing A Tool-Use Task In Asian Small-Clawed Otters (Aonyx Cinereus), Stephanie E. James

Honors Theses

Laterality is defined as the occurrence of each cerebral hemisphere having asymmetric control over the different sides of the body, leading to preferences to use one side of the body over the other for various behaviors. Many types of laterality exist, but handedness is the form that is most predominantly assessed. Handedness in animals is of special interest to laterality researchers, as humans were once thought to be the only species that exhibited lateralized hand preferences. The aim of the current study was to determine if Asian small-clawed otters exhibit significant paw preferences in behaviors associated with completing a tool-use …